마음의 진실 - Truth of the Heart
by PerpetualSnare
Summary: Rose Morgan and Woo Bin feel so much for each other, but true love doesn't always bring people together. Woo Bin x OC
1. Chapter 1

Rosemary Morgan was a British exchange student at Seoul National University majoring in business administration. Rose studied the Korean language for hours on end every day, but she was not prepared to take classes in it. Luckily for her, the College of Business Administration offered many classes in English. She truly hoped that by her second year, she would be able to take classes in Korean. It was a challenge to be sure, but she had faith in herself. Fortunately for Rose, she had an excellent private tutor who just happened to be a _native speaker_.

Rose had met Song Woo Bin at a University fundraiser. She had been at the refreshment table serving punch and cookies to those individuals who preferred not to drink alcohol and to those who were not old enough to. Punch and cookies were both priced at 1,000 won each or 1,500 if one wanted both. That evening, Rose wore a simple black dress that fell right above her knee. Her thick hair was loosely braided down her back; it was the dark golden color of pine mushroom wine.

Three months later, Woo Bin's pick-up line still brought a smile to her lips. He had approached the refreshment table with a grin on his face. He was wearing a brown tweed suit of the very best quality. A sky blue shirt and a royal purple bow tie completed his ensemble nicely. Any casual observer could see that the young man was not hurting for money.

"If you dance with me, I'll buy all of your cookies", Woo Bin had said and then placed a 50,000 won note on the table. His smile was infectious and she could see that he was rather proud of himself for being so bold.

Rose didn't know what to make of the handsome young man and at first she politely refused. Woo Bin had sighed and decided to up the ante, so he laid another crisp and colorful 50,000 won bill on the table, making it a pair of ladies.

Rose's close friend Mi Cha had been at the other end of the table watching the scene unfold. Mi Cha didn't know who the young man was, but she could clearly see that he was attractive and well-heeled. Rose would be a brainless mouse to refuse a dance with such a fine specimen. Mi Cha took Rose by the hand and dragged her around to the front of the table.

"My friend Rose would LOVE to dance with you", Mi Cha simpered, and then added "I will watch the table."

Woo Bin thanked Mi Cha with a small polite bow and led Rose to the dance floor. Woo Bin's movements were confident and solid however they didn't make Rose feel uncomfortable. When he wrapped his arm around Rose's waist, she felt as if it belonged there and so she courteously placed her hand on his shoulder. Finally, he brought her right hand into his left hand and they began to drift across the dance floor. The music was canned instrumental jazz of dubious quality. When she told him her name, Woo Bin simply told that her that it was "lovely".

Rose quickly discovered that Woo Bin's English was phenomenal, thus there was no need for her to use either pigeon Korean or simplified English. Apparently, he attended a private and prestigious school run by the famed Shinwa Group. Woo Bin had had access to the best education that money could buy and it seemed that he was also competent in German and French. Needless to say Rose was impressed with Woo Bin's credentials and felt more than humbled by her own achievements when compared to those of her dance partner.

Conversation drifted from language to music, and they soon discovered that they both had a profound passion for hip-hop. They shared a taste for many of the same American and UK Artists, but Woo Bin also spoke keenly about the Korean hip-hop scene and gave her a list of albums that she "needed" to listen to.

When the song ended, Woo Bin excused himself and said that he would return shortly. Two minutes later he returned with two flutes of champagne, offering one kindly to Rose.

Woo Bin held his glass up and whispered with a glint in his eye, "A toast to beauty, musical and otherwise."

Rose blushed and lightly touched her glass to his. Each took a sip and searched for what to say next. Woo Bin wasn't normally at a loss for words, but all the hierarchal plays that he would normally use on a woman seemed inappropriate to try on Rose. When Woo Bin had approached the refreshment table, all he had wanted was a dance. At the time, he hadn't thought of the woman behind the table as a complete person who one would interact with on a delicate level. Like a prized jewel encased in glass, Rose had been a thing of beauty that he had wanted to lay his fingers upon, but now that he had done so, he did not want to admire her from a _distance_. He kept staring at her dark coral lips and wanted to invite himself in.

Rose Morgan had given no amorous thought towards a man since she had arrived in Seoul. A few of the international students had expressed interest in her, but her language and content studies consumed her days. Rose consciously made an effort to not engage with her suitors in the manner that they wished as she wanted her academics to be the focus of her time in the Land of the Morning Calm. She thought that she was impervious to romantic notions, but there was something about Woo Bin's face that demanded her attention. Whether it was his dazzling smile or guarded eyes that drew Rose in, she couldn't say, but she knew she had to see him again.

"I'm suffocating here – let's go to a dance club?", Woo Bin broke the silence with this most welcome of suggestions.

Rose's small mouth bunched into a heart and she happily agreed.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where exactly are we going?", Rose asked as the heavy elevator doors closed behind her and Woo Bin.

"A dance club in Gangnam called Prism", Woo Bin replied and then to see her response he added, "My father owns it."

She didn't give him the awed reaction that he usually got when he told girls that his father owned a nightclub, however he could see that her interest had been piqued.

"So we won't have to pay a cover charge?", Rose asked hopefully.

"With me there is_ never_ a cover charge", Woo Bin declared proudly but then realized how foolish and arrogant he sounded. Rose looked at the floor and tried to stifle her laughter.

When they exited the building, the valet was watching over a sleek sports car of a brilliant tangerine hue. He handed off the keys to Woo Bin. Rose knew very little about makes and models of cars, but she knew that Woo Bin's vehicle was a magnificent specimen that was accompanied by a very large price tag. This time, she gave the reaction that Woo Bin was looking for.

"You drive _this_?", Rose said with impressed disbelief.

"It was a gift for my 16th Birthday", Woo Bin murmured as he opened the passenger door and motioned for Rose to get in, which she did. When Woo Bin was comfortably situated in the driver's seat, Rose noticed that his car had stick shift.

"You drive manual?", she said with surprise.

"I like to be in control", Woo Bin confessed with a smile and then put the key in the ignition. Rose wondered if he was referring to more than just his car but thought better of saying anything. As they pulled into traffic Woo Bin pressed a button on the steering wheel that initiated the car's sound system. Moby's "Porcelain" came on and as the first strains of the song reached her ears, Rose smiled and said, "Oh, I love this album."

"It's good night-driving music but I think the lyrics are sad", Woo Bin responded softly as his fingers tapped to the rhythm of the song on the steering wheel.

**In my dreams I'm jealous all the time**  
**Then I wake I'm going out of my mind**

When they arrived at Prism, Woo Bin parked in a reserved spot directly in front of the club that was marked "Song Family". None of Woo Bin's unique privileges had been lost on Rose. It seemed to her that he could do whatever he liked, wherever and whenever. When they approached the front door, the bouncer just nodded at Woo Bin and winked at her, then he waved the two of them into the club without an ID check or questioning. The people in the queue waiting to get in only wished that they were as fortunate as Woo Bin and the pretty blond.

Woo Bin proudly took an active hand in running Prism with his father and he greatly influenced which acts made it onto the club's stage and which ones didn't. DJ Tiësto was scratching that night and those select individuals deemed worthy of entrance into one of Seoul's hottest clubs were gyrating to slick hard beats. Woo Bin surveyed the crowd and was pleased to see a sea of beautiful people amid the flashing lights. His head started bopping to the music and it was becoming difficult for him to not get out on the dance floor. Woo Bin grabbed Rose by the hand and pulled her to the area designated for dancing.

"I'm a terrible dancer", Rose yelled at him in an effort to be heard through the noise.

"Don't worry. I'll make you look good", Woo Bin called back to her and smirked. There was that cheek of his again and Rose couldn't decide if she was turned off by it or not. On the dance floor Woo Bin was dexterous and skilled, his body moved in perfect rhythm to the beat and he was conscious of changing up what he was doing every so often. Rose tried to keep up with Woo Bin, but she was clearly outmatched and so she just tried to imitate his steps. The thumping beat become harder and the flashing pattern of the lights overhead started to alternate more rapidly. Woo Bin began to dance increasingly closer to Rose and they were both working up a sweat. Rose was conscious of how handsome Woo Bin was as his skin glistened in the harsh light. She slowly lost some of her inhibition and her movements gradually became more fluid and responsive to what her partner was doing.

Then, Rose felt a pair of warm hands press into her lower backside.

"What the hell are you doing?", Rose snapped at Woo Bin and quickly moved out of his reach.

"Dancing with you…what do you think I'm doing?", Woo Bin stated in a frank tone. Woo Bin had certainly witnessed dirtier dance moves on Prism's floor than the likes of what he had just done to Rose. It's what clubbers did when they got caught up in the moment, so he wasn't sure what to make of her objection.

"Just keep your hands where I can see them", Rose shouted to him and then resumed dancing. Woo Bin's concentration had been thrown off and he eyed Rose cautiously, but he kept going until the track was over. As a mellow beat slid into the room, Rose excused herself to go to the bathroom. Then, Woo Bin noticed his friends Goo Joon Pyo and So Yi Jung sitting at a table looking in his direction and snickering.

When Woo Bin walked up to where they sat, he first inquired about the whereabouts' of the young men's girlfriends, Jan Di and Ga Eul.

"They're in the ladies room", Yi Jung said drolly. He had been waiting patiently to get out on the dance floor with Ga Eul and blow off some steam and he was starting to become bored.

Woo Bin sat down at the table and ordered a gin and tonic.

Joon Pyo leaned over and whispered to Woo Bin. "My guess is two weeks."

"Two weeks? What are you talking about", Woo Bin asked his coy friend.

"That's my guess on how long your new lady friend is going to last", Joon Pyo replied smugly.

Yi Jung grinned and said, "I don't know – if he gets her in bed this week, then he'll get bored fast – I give it only one week."

"From what we saw when he put his hands on her, I definitely think it will take two weeks – she's got some spirit", Joon Pyo countered.  
While it was true that Woo Bin was known for being the Don Juan among his friends it bothered him to be confronted with it in such a blunt manner.

"Ya – don't talk about my love life like its some cheap fashion trend", Woo Bin scolded them.

Yi Jung and Joon Pyo were surprised that Woo Bin was taking offense to what they considered to be light-hearted jibes.

Joon Pyo reacted first, "Settle down – we're just having a laugh."

"You can't deny that you have a history of wearing women like clothing fads", Yi Jung said. He was definitely feeling cocky that evening.

Just as Woo Bin was going to defend himself, Ga Eul and Jan Di returned from the restroom. Their faces brightened when they saw Woo Bin at their table.

"Song Woo Bin – we thought we might see you here", Jan Di said cheerfully.

"Your boyfriends are terrible people", Woo Bin said in grumpy jest as the women took their seats. Ga Eul looped her arm into Ji Yung's arm in a possessive manner and with a twinkle in her eyes she said, "What did they do _this_ time?", as if she were speaking of two toddlers who had no social graces.

"Making bets on how long it takes me to sleep with the girl I brought tonight" Woo Bin said with a humpf.

There was an uncomfortable silence; Jan Di and Ga Eul shared a secretive glance and then cast their eyes downwards. Neither of them could look Woo Bin in the eye. Not receiving even the semblance of female outrage from two girls that he thought of as sisters disappointed Woo Bin. Weren't women supposed to stick together? Could it be that Jan Di and Ga Eul held the same opinion of him that their respective boyfriends did?

"Jan Di, aren't you going to yell at Joon Pyo?", Woo Bin teased her.

While Jan Di struggled to formulate her response, Joon Pyo's jaw tensed as he waited to see if he was going to receive a thwack on the arm from his girlfriend, however Jan Di really couldn't lie for Woo Bin's benefit even if he was older than her.

"Woo Bin oppa, I've known you for five years now and in that time…well…", Jan Di found it difficult to say what was in her mind, given the subject matter. Talking to anyone except Joon Pyo about personal sex drive was very embarrassing for her and sometimes even with him it could be uncomfortable.

"In that time – what? What were you going to say?", Woo Bin demanded.

Jan Di swallowed hard and then found her confidence.

"In that time you've slept with more women than I can count…and I can't think of one relationship that lasted more than a month", Jan Di said as respectfully as she could. Joon Pyo knew that Jan Di's candor hadn't been easy for her and so he placed his hand on her forearm to support her.

Woo Bin was about to respond when Rose approached carefully and nodded at the group of close friends. Woo Bin made the appropriate introductions and Rose remarked to him how pretty Ga Eul and Jan Di were. Then, to Woo Bin's surprise Rose asked to be driven home. She told him that she was tired and that she wasn't feeling well.

Woo Bin wanted to stay out but he respected Rose's wishes. As Woo Bin was exiting the club, he glanced back at his compatriots only to see Yi Jung holding up one index finger in his direction while Joon Pyo was holding up two fingers in a similar manner. Both men had devilish grins on their faces. This time Joon Pyo did receive a strong thwack on the upper arm from Jan Di for his lack of manners.

Woo Bin frowned at the insensitivity of his friends and left the club with Rose.


	3. Chapter 3

The drive back to Rose's dorm building was mostly a silent one. Woo Bin tried to make light conversation, but the most he got from Rose to any of his queries were _yes, no,_ and_ maybe. _In his head, Woo Bin knocked around the possible reasons for Rose's strange reaction at _Prism._ Woo Bin hoped that she wasn't prudish, because that would end their relationship before it even started. He preferred women that didn't mind public displays of affection, as he tended to be _very_ demonstrative of his desires.

When Woo Bin pulled up in front of her building, he turned to Rose and whispered, "I'm sorry about what happened at the club."

Woo Bin wasn't sure why he was apologizing, but he could clearly sense the bruised spirit sitting in the passenger seat next to him.

Rose glanced at Woo Bin and then without reservation she said, "If a woman lets a man do whatever he wants to her then she starts to become what he makes of her, instead of what she makes of herself. "

Woo Bin was stunned and wasn't quite sure what she meant.

"What?", he said blankly, clearly taken aback.

"It seems as if you snap your fingers and magic happens. I just wanted you to know that when you snap your fingers I'm not going to say how high."

Here was an English idiom that Woo Bin didn't know. Was this some slang for sex? Even _he _didn't "jump" on the first date.

"What? I never asked you to jump - we were only dancing", he sputtered.

Rose immediately understood the linguistic confusion and she couldn't help but grin.

"It means that if I make an effort – there has to be a good reason for doing so - not just because a good looking man told me to."

Upon hearing the unintended compliment, Woo Bin could not conceal his pleasure and his face lifted.

"You think I'm handsome?" Woo Bin asked as his eyebrows rose with curiosity.

Rose saw his unconcealed gratification at her words and clucked, "Is that what you've been waiting to hear? That you're handsome? That your car is beautiful? Sure, I could do that, but it would make me a shallow person."

"Joon Pyo was right. You do have spirit." Woo Bin responded quickly in Korean.

"What?"

"Nothing", Woo-Bin shot back smugly. He seemed to enjoy the power imbalance that the language barrier afforded him.

"Tell me!" Rose demanded playfully and narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're just going to have to study more", Woo Bin teased.

Rose smiled and with a small shake of her head, she resolutely declared, "Not fair."

Woo Bin took note of her smile and how pretty she looked on the rare occasions when she let herself go.

"Smiling is good…keep doing that….you've got a beautiful one", Woo Bin complimented her. Rose blushed and didn't know how to respond, so she decided that it was time to make her exit.

"Thank you for everything - good night", Rose stammered.

She began to climb out of the car when Woo Bin called to her, "Ya…you looked good on the dance floor…you just had to relax."

"It was easy to relax with you", Rose heard herself say. She knew she was going to kick herself for such a slip once she got inside. She just smiled and continued to leave the car, gently slamming the door securely behind her.

Rose's golden hair bounced behind her as she strode away from the car. When she reached the door to the apartment complex, she turned around and waved with a generous and pure smile. Woo Bin waved back and once she acknowledged his gesture, she disappeared through the front door.

_Of course_ she turned around Woo Bin thought! Wasn't it impossible for any woman to resist his charms? He had smoothed things over sufficiently and was sure he would see her again. As Woo Bin started up the car, he felt pleased, but when he eased the car into traffic, something began to trouble him and his smile was soon replaced with a frown.

With some effort, Woo Bin shed his tall snakeskin boots in the hyawn-gwan of the F4's kick-back spot and proceeded down the hallway, but just as he approached the door to the main room he became aware of the sound of heavy breathing and rugged whispers on the other side of the door. He placed his ear to the door and listened. What he heard were the familiar sounds of two people being physically intimate. Either Joon Pyo or Yi Jung had left the club early to take pleasure in intimacies with his significant other. Woo Bin listened for a second more and then turned around out of respect; a voyeur he was not. As Woo Bin walked back down the hall, he found himself thinking how strange it was that perceiving other people's heat could make one feel so cold.

Woo Bin's boots were not the kind that one could slip on easily. They were a grand affair with laces and buckles, making re-entry of the feet a complicated process. He had one boot on and as he was struggling to put its mate on, he lost his balance and fell on his backside, knocking his head on the wall in the process. Without thinking Woo Bin let out a yowl and rubbed his head checking for blood. He was shaken, but physically sound. A flushed-faced Joon Pyo opened the door to the small anteroom to find Woo Bin cradling his head in frustration.

"Ya…are you okay?", Joon Pyo asked with real concern.

"Yes", Woo Bin moaned in embarrassment.

"What happened?"

"I fell over trying to put on my boots."

A small laugh escaped from Joon Pyo's lips and he extended both hands to his friend and then said, "Fool – let me help you up."

When they entered the main room, Joon Pyo recounted the cause of the accident to Jan Di, who's hair was noticeably mussed. She quickly used her fingers to smooth the unruly strands into place.

"Come on, let's go to the kitchen and I'll fix you up", Jan Di offered once she was assured that a trip to the hospital was unnecessary. Woo Bin followed Jan Di into the kitchen, where she proceeded to put chipped ice into a dishtowel to serve as an ice pack.

"Where does it hurt?", the self-appointed nursemaid queried.

Woo Bin pointed to the left side of his head and Jan Di molded the ice pack onto his injury and told him to put his hand where her hand was, so that the pack would stay in place.

"You're really okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine – just embarrassed", Woo Bin responded as he looked down at the floor.

"About earlier….I'm sorry for what I said at the club", Jan Di said apologetically.

Woo Bin accepted her apology with a nod and then asked, "Am I really that bad?"

Jan Di felt that honesty was best, so while she wished he hadn't asked, she was not going to fabricate something lame.

"It's not bad or good. It's just a clear pattern", Jan Di said truthfully and then in a move to change the subject she added, "I am going to cut up some fruit for a snack…we were going to watch a movie before you came. Please join us."

Woo Bin saw through her lie, but he knew that the invitation was sincere, so he decided to stay. As Woo Bin was about to leave the kitchen, Jan Di called to him.

"Prove them wrong", she urged him.

Woo Bin stopped in his tracks and looked at Jan Di, who had a bag of oranges in her hands.

"What?", Woo Bin asked with confusion.

"Joon Pyo and Yi Jung think you can't commit– prove them wrong", Jan Di proclaimed.

"What, is it your concern?", Woo Bin asked directly yet respectfully.

"Perhaps it's not my concern, but you're my friend. You've always looked out for your friends and certainly saved me on more than one occasion. You deserve someone special", Jan Di explained. She approached Woo Bin and laid a hand gently on his upper arm. He could see that she was speaking from her heart and he didn't have it in him to tell her to mind her own business.

"Thanks", Woo Bin said simply and somehow managed a faint smile before leaving the kitchen in order to rejoin Joon Pyo. Jan Di stared at the kitchen door dejectedly, sighed, and then returned to her fruit salad preparation.


End file.
